1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. g3 Nc6

I like this simple move.

6… d5 is considered by theory the more critical move, when White might play 7. exd5 (7. e5!? Ng4 8. Bf4 (8. Bg2!?) 8… g5 9. e6 h5) 7… Nxd5 8. Ndb5 (8. Bd2 O-O 9. Bg2 Nb6 10. Be3 Nc4=) 8… Nxc3 9. Qxd8+ Bxd8 10. Nxc3 Bf5 11. Bg2 Nc6 12. O-O O-O 13. Bf4 Bxc2 14. Rac1 Bf5 15. Rfd1 Seel

 

 

7. Bg2

7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Bg4 10. Ne2 Qd7 11. f3 Bh3= Seel

7… O-O 8. h3

a) 8. O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 c6 10. Bf4 Qb6 11. Qxb6 axb6 12. Rad1 Rd8 13. Rd3 Be6 14. Rfd1 Ne8 15. a3 b5= 0-1 Meier,G-Popovic,D/INT 2005 (55)

b) 8. Nde2! Re8 (8… Ne5 9. O-O c6 10. a4 (10. f4 Ng6 11. h3 Re8 12. Be3 Bf8= Seel) 10… Re8 11. b3 Ng6 12. Bb2 Qa5 13. h3 Bd7 14. f4 Rad8 15. Qe1 Qh5?! 16. f5! d5 17. fxg6 Bc5+ 18. Kh1 hxg6 19. Rxf6 gxf6 20. Qf1 dxe4 21. Nxe4 Rxe4 22. Qxf6 Bf8 23. Bxe4 Qxh3+ 24. Kg1 Re8 25. Bg2 Qh6 26. Rf1 1-0 Howell,D (2561)-Berkovich,M (2396)/La Massana AND 2008 (67)) 9. h3 Rb8!? 10. Be3 Bf8 11. g4 b5 12. g5 Nd7 13. Qd2 a5 (13… Nb6 14. b3 b4 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16. exd5 Ne7 17. Bxa7) 14. b3 Nc5 15. Ng3 b4 16. Nd5 Ne5 17. f4 Ng6?! (17… c6!) 18. O-O-O Ba6 19. Qf2 Nd7 20. h4 c6 21. h5 Nh8 22. Nf6+!! gxf6 23. gxf6 Nxf6 24. Bf3 a4 25. Nf5 axb3 26. Qg2+ Ng6 27. hxg6 b2+ 28. Kb1 fxg6 29. Rxh7 Nxh7 30. Qxg6+ Kh8 31. Bd4+ Re5 32. fxe5 c5 33. Bxb2 c4 34. Rg1 1-0 Ivanov,A (2560)-Kaufman,L (2365)/Tulsa USA 2008

8… Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Be6

9… c6 10. Bf4 Qb6 11. O-O-O Rd8 12. g4 Be6 13. g5 Qxd4 14. Rxd4 Ne8 1/2-1/2 Stevic,H-Predojevic,B/Bizovac 2005

10. O-O

White does best to castle on the kingside, since queenside castling has proven a problem in practice: 10. f4 Nd7 11. Be3 Nb6 12. O-O-O?! Nc4 13. Bf2 c5 14. Qd3 Qa5 15. Kb1 Qb4 16. b3 Na3+ 17. Kc1 c4 18. Qd4 Bf6 19. e5 dxe5 20. fxe5 Rad8 21. Nd5 Bg5+ 22. Be3 Rxd5 23. Bxd5 Nb5 24. Qxc4 Bxe3+ 25. Kb2 Qa3+ 26. Kb1 Qa5 27. Kb2 Rc8 28. Qe4 Qc3+ 0-1 Ganguly,S-Wen,Y/Cebu City 2007

10… c6 11. Be3

Stopping Qb6, trading queens and easing Black’s game. But Black has other ways of organizing his forces in this flexible defensive position.

11… Qc8!

11… Qa5 12. f4

12. Kh2 Rd8 13. Rad1 d5

A bid for immediate equality, but this may be premature.

13… Ne8!? 14. f4 Bf6 (14… f5!? 15. e5) 15. Qd3 b5

14. exd5!

An interesting forcing line is 14. e5 Nd7 15. f4 c5!? (15… f6!=) 16. Nxd5 cxd4 17. Nxe7+ Kf8 18. Nxc8 dxe3 19. f5 (19. Rxd7 Rdxc8) 19… Bxa2

14… Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Bxd5 Rxd5 17. Qe4

17… Qe6!?

A very inter esting solution to Black’s problems and the best way to avoid an isolated pawn at d5 or surrendering the d-file.

17… Rh5?! 18. g4 Qe8 19. Kg2 Rb5 20. c4!

18. Qxe6 fxe6 19. c4 Rdd8 20. Kg2 Kf7 21. Kf3 b6

White retains a slight structural edge, but it is too little to win with in this position.

22. Ke4 Rab8 23. b3 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Rd8 25. Rxd8 Bxd8 26. g4 a6 27. f3 b5 28. cxb5 cxb5 29. a4 Be7 30. Ke5 g6 31. Bf2 Bf8 32. Bh4 Bc5 33. Bg5 Bf8 34. Bh4

34. axb5 axb5 35. Kd4 Bd6 36. Bd8!? h6! 37. Bb6 (37. h4 h5 38. Bb6 g5) 37… Kf6 38. Bc5?! e5+! 39. Kd5 Bxc5 40. Kxc5 Kg5

34… Bc5!

Game drawn by mutual agreement

1/2-1/2

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O a6 10. a4 Nbd7 11. Bf4!

White has also done well with 11. Nd2 Re8 12. Nc4 (12. h3 Rb8 13. Nc4 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Rxe5 15. e4 b5 16. axb5 axb5 17. f4 Re8 18. e5 dxe5 19. fxe5 Rxe5 20. Bf4! Nh5!? 21. Bxe5 Bxe5 22. Qf3 f5 23. g4 Nf6 (23… Nf4!) 24. gxf5 Bxf5 25. Ra6 Qd7 26. d6 c4 27. Nd5 Re8 28. Nxf6+ Bxf6 29. Qd5+ Kh8 30. Rc6 Bxb2? 31. Rc7! Qe6 32. d7 Qe3+ 33. Kh1 Rd8 34. Rc8 Bf6 35. Qf7 Qe7 36. Rxd8+ Qxd8 37. Re1 Bxd7 38. Rd1 1-0 Kuzubov,Y (2578)-Spraggett,K (2601)/Cala Mayor ESP 2008) 12… Nb6 13. Na3 Bd7 14. a5 Nc8 15. Nc4 Bb5 16. Qb3 Bxc4 17. Qxc4 b5 18. axb6 Nxb6 19. Qd3 c4 20. Qd1 Qc7 21. Ra3 Nfd7 22. Be3 Rxe3?! 23. fxe3 Ne5 24. Qa1 Ng4 25. Nd1 Re8 26. Kh1 c3 27. bxc3 Nc4 28. Rxa6 Nd2 29. Qa4 Qc8 30. Rf4 Ne5 31. Rxd6 Bh6 32. Rd4 Ndc4 33. Rxc4 Nxc4 34. Rc6 Qf5 35. Rxc4 Rxe3 36. Nxe3 Bxe3 37. Qe8+ 1-0 Ippolito,D (2445)-Thavandiran,S (2288)/Pawtucket USA 2008

11… Qc7?!

 

 

The Queen is subject to pressure here along the c-file and the h2-b8 diagonal.

11… Re8 12. Bxd6?! (12. Nd2 Ne5) 12… Qb6

12. Rc1! Re8 13. b4! Nh5 14. Bd2 Qb6 15. Na2 Nhf6 16. Bc3 cxb4 17. Bxb4 Ne4 18. a5 Qd8 19. Nd2 Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Ne5 21. Nc3 b5

White has pressure and a target at d6.

22. Ne4 Bf8

22… Nc4 23. Rxc4! bxc4 24. Nxd6

23. Rc6! Nxc6 24. dxc6 d5??

24… Bf5!? 25. c7 Qxc7 26. Nf6+ Kh8 27. Bxa8 Rxa8 28. Nd5

25. c7

Black resigns

1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5

5. g3

This move is less common than a central thrust with c4.

a) 5. Bb2 Nc6 6. c4 Nde7 7. Nc3 Ng6 8. Nb5 a6 9. Nd6+ Bxd6 10. exd6 e5 11. h4 Qf6 12. h5 Nf4 13. g3 Ne6 14. Qe2 O-O 15. Qe4 Ned4 16. Bxd4 cxd4 17. Bd3 g6 18. Qg4 Nb4 19. Be4 Qg7 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. Qh4 d3

22. a3!! Nc2+ 23. Kf1 Nxa1 24. Ng5 Nxb3 25. Bd5 Nd4 (25… Nxd2+ 26. Kg2) 26. Ne4 1-0 Popovic,D (2551)-Pavlovic,M (2537)/Subotica SRB 2008

b) 5. c4 Nc7 (5… Ne7 see above) 6. Bb2 Nc6 7. Bd3!? (7. Nc3 Be7 8. Ne4 O-O 9. d4) 7… d5 8. exd6 Qxd6 9. Qe2 f6 10. O-O Be7 11. Nc3 e5 Black clearly has the better structure, but White’s pieces create great attacking chances all on their own. How this seems to work is that Black has stopped up the dark squares at the expense of the light — the indirect impact of the b2-Bishop. 12. Nh4 O-O 13. Ne4!? Qd8 14. Ng3 Ne6 15. Qe4 Ng5 16. Qe3 g6 17. Rae1 Bd6 18. Ne4 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 Ne7 20. b4!? Qb6 21. b5 a6 22. Qh6! Rf7 23. f4 exf4 24. Bd5? (24. Bxg6! Nxg6 25. Nxg6 Qd8 26. Nxf4) 24… Nxd5 25. cxd5 c4+ 26. Kh1 Be5? (26… Qxb5 27. Nxg6 Bf5) 27. Rxf4! Bf5? 28. Bxe5 Re8 29. g4?! (29. Nxf5!) 29… Bd3! 30. Nxg6? Bxg6 0-1 Vicary,E (2145) -Cheng,B (2333)/Edmonton CAN 2008. A valiant effort from Vicary.

5… Nc6 6. Bb2 Be7

a) 6… d6 7. Bg2 dxe5 8. Nxe5 Nxe5 9. Bxe5 Nf6= Rozentalis,E-Bologan,V/Warsaw 2006 (51)

b) 6… g6!? seems like a new idea worth noting: 7. Na3 Bg7 8. Nc4 O-O “Just in time castling…” 9. Bg2 b6 10. O-O Ba6 11. d3 Bxc4 12. dxc4 Nde7 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. Rae1 Rad8 15. Bc1!? d6 16. exd6 Qxd6 17. Bf4! Qd7 18. Rd1 Qc8 19. h4 Nf5 20. Qe4 Ncd4 21. Nxd4 Nxd4 22. c3 Nf5 23. Qc2 Bh6!? 24. Bxh6 Nxh6 25. Bh3 Kg7 26. Qe2 Qc7 27. Rxd8 Rxd8 28. Rd1 Rxd1+ 29. Qxd1 f5 0-1 De la Riva Aguado,O-Ponomariov,R/Pamplona 2005 (52), and Black’s superior majority favored him.

7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O d6 9. d4?!

9. exd6 Qxd6 10. Na3 with the id ea of Nc4 seems most appropriate here, taking advantage of the fact that White has not yet played the c4 advance.

9… cxd4 10. exd6 Qxd6 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Rd8

Black has emerged from the opening with a good game and now just needs to activate his Bishops and perhaps exchange White’s better ones.

13. Bb2 Qc7 14. Qe2 Bf6 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Na3 Bd7 17. Rfd1 Bc6! 18. c4 Qa5 19. Nb5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 a6 21. Nd4 h6

A fairly equal position, though Black’s pieces are better placed. White might have hopes of making his queenside majority do something.

22. Nf3 Qf5 23. Rd4 Rxd4 24. Nxd4 Qc5 25. Nc2 Rd8 26. Ne3 Qc6+ 27. Qf3 Rd2! 28. Qxc6 bxc6 29. Kf3 a5 30. a3? Rb2

Black wins a pawn, but it will be hard to make it pay.

31. b4 axb4 32. axb4 Rxb4 33. Ra8+ Kh7 34. Rc8 Nd7 35. Ke4 f5+

Perhaps Black should surrender the c-pawn for the kingside pawns? 35… Rb2!

36. Kd4 Rb6 37. Rc7 c5+ 38. Kc3 Rd6 39. Ng2! g5 40. Ne1 Kg6 41. Nd3

After a great Knight re-routing, White wins back the pawn and gains a passer.

41… Kf6 42. Nxc5 Nxc5 43. Rxc5 Rd1 44. Rb5 Rh1 45. Rb2 Rxh2 46. c5 Rh1 47. Kc4 Rc1+ 48. Kb5 h5 49. c6 h4 50. gxh4 gxh4 51. f4 e5 52. fxe5+ Kxe5 53. Rh2 Kd5 54. Rd2+ Ke4 55. Rh2 Kd5 56. Rd2+ Ke5 57. Rh2 f4 58. Rxh4

An obvious draw result. Each Rook will be forced to sacrifice itself for the other’s pawn.

58… f3 59. Rh2 Kf4 60. Rh8 f2 61. Rf8+ Ke3 62. Kb6 Rb1+ 63. Ka7 f1=Q 64. Rxf1 Rxf1 65. c7 Rc1 66. Kb7 Kd4 67. c8=Q Rxc8 68. Kxc8

Game drawn because neither player has mating material. A classic battle “to the Kings”!

1/2-1/2

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 Kf8 9. Bd3 Nxd2 10. Kxd2 c5

We now have the tabiya of a classic MacCutcheon confrontation. White has good chances on the kingside and Black on the queenside. But White’s superior development allows him to inhibit Black’s queenside play somewhat if he chooses — as Ng does here.

Black also sometimes plays the inferior 10… Qg5+ 11. Qxg5 hxg5 12. g4 (12. f4 gxf4 13. Rf1) 12… f6 13. h4! fxe5 14. dxe5 Nc6 15. Nf3 gxh4 16. Rae1 Psakhis

11. Nf3

11. h4 c4! (11… Nc6 12. Rh3 c4 13. Bf1 b5 14. Ne2 a5 15. a3 Bd7 16. Nf4 b4 17. Rf3 bxc3+ 18. Kd1 h5 19. Nxh5 Rg8 20. Ke1 Qb6 21. Rd1 Ne7 (21… Qb2!) 22. Qf4 Nf5 23. g4 1-0 Lutz,C-Kortschnoj,V/Essen 2002 (35)) 12. Be2 b5 13. Nh3 Nc6 14. a3 Qa5 15. Qf4 Ke7 16. Qe3 Bd7 17. Nf4 Rag8 18. g4 Kd8 19. Nh5 Kc8 20. f4 Qd8 21. Bf3 Ne7 22. Ng3 a5 23. Bg2 g6 24. Bf3 Nc6 25. Ne2 Ne7 26. Ng3 Nc6 27. Be2 Qb6 28. Rhb1 Kc7 29. h5 b4 30. hxg6 fxg6 31. axb4 axb4 32. cxb4 Nxd4 33. Ra5 Nb5 34. Qc5+ Qxc5 35. bxc5 Rb8 36. f5 gxf5 37. gxf5 Rhg8 38. fxe6 Bxe6 39. Nh5 Nd4 40. Rxb8 Kxb8 41. Nf4 Rg5 42. Nxe6 Nxe6 0-1 Lutz,C-Socko,B/Germany 2007 (88)

11… c4 12. Be2 Nc6 13. a4! Bd7 14. Rhb1

14. h4 a6 15. Qf4 b5 16. g4 b4 17. cxb4 Nxb4 (17… Qe7!? 18. c3 Nxb4! 19. Rhb1 1-0 Horvath,A-Salmensuu,O/Panormo 2001 (39)) 18. c3 Nc6 19. Rhb1 Rb8 20. Bd1 Na5 21. Ke1 Nb3 22. Bxb3 cxb3 23. Qc1 g5 24. Qa3+ Kg7 25. Rxb3 Rxb3 26. Qxb3 h5 27. gxh5 g4 28. Nd2 Rxh5 29. Ke2 Qxh4 30. Rg1 Rf5 31. Rg3 Rf4 32. Nf1 f5 33. Qb7 Qe7 34. Qxa6 Re4+ 35. Re3 Rxe3+ 36. Nxe3 Be8 37. a5 Bh5 38. Qd6 Qf7 39. Qd8 g3+ 40. Kf1 f4 41. Qg5+ Kf8 42. Ng2 Be2+ 43. Ke1 f3 44. Nf4 g2 45. Nxe2 fxe2 46. Qxg2 Qf5 47. Qg3 Qc2 48. Qf4+ Ke8 49. Qd2 Qa4 50. Kxe2 Qxa5 51. Qd3 Kd8 52. Kf3 Qa1 53. Kg4 Qh1 54. Qf3 Qh7 55. Qf8+ 1-0 Short,N-Morozevich,A/Germany 1998

14… Rb8 15. h4 a5!?

A concept of Akobian’s, to fix White’s a-pawn on a light square so it can be attacked by the Black Bishop.

16. Qf4 Ne7 17. g4 Ke8 18. h5 Nc8 19. g5 hxg5 20. Nxg5 Qe7 21. h6!? Rxh6 22. Rh1 Bxa4?

A cute tactic, but White’s next suggests it is an error.

 

 

23. Bh5! g6 24. Nxe6! Qxe6 25. Qxh6 b5

25… gxh5 26. Qh8+ Ke7 27. Rxa4

26. Bf3

White is up the Exchange and still has the stronger attack.

26… Qf5 27. Qh8+ Ke7 28. Qf6+ Qxf6 29. exf6+ Kxf6 30. Rh8 Ke6 31. Re1+ Kd6 32. Ree8 Kc7 33. Rhf8 b4 34. Rxf7+ Kd6 35. Rd8+ Kc6 36. Bxd5+ Kb6 37. cxb4 axb4 38. Be6

Black resigns

1-0